7 Reasons You Have No Energy
But you can fix them naturally to regain your abundant power.
When we have abundant energy, life becomes enjoyable. When we lack energy, we feel miserable and lose the meaning of life. There are viable solutions, so we shouldn’t suffer from fatigue and lethargy.
I wrote this article because I suffered from a lack of energy in my younger years. However, through trial and error for decades, I learned how to create endless energy naturally. Therefore, I’d like to pass it along.
Waking up and living with abundant energy has been a blessing. By overcoming chronic fatigue, stress, anxiety, and inflammation, I reactivated dormant energy channels and improved my quality of life.
Our lives depend on biological power. Simply, no energy, no life. The human body and mind can produce unlimited energy if we use them properly and honor their fundamental requirements.
But unfortunately, we often search for solutions in the wrong places, leading to disappointment, desperation, anxiety, and unnecessary suffering.
Lethargy indicates low physical and mental energy. I provide practical and natural ways to overcome lethargy and live with ample energy by leveraging holistic health principles.
Biological, psychological, spiritual, and environmental factors can block and drain our energy. Therefore, understanding these factors is essential to start improving our energy levels.
From a biological perspective, energy comes down to cells fed by tiny organelles called mitochondria. When we have denser mitochondria, we experience more energy.
When our mitochondria are damaged, we experience lethargy. Therefore, cellular and mitochondrial health is vital.
Until I learned about the mechanisms of cellular health, I had no clue about energy production and maintenance in the body.
Psychological stress caused by unpleasant emotions and environmental factors such as toxins, heavy metals, and pathogens can adversely affect mitochondrial and genetic health.
Lowering oxidative stress and eliminating toxins and pathogens can improve our energy levels.
Lack of energy can have multiple underlying causes. I want to introduce seven possible reasons, explanations, and practical tips for addressing them based on my experience, observations, and reviews.
1 — You don’t get adequate restorative sleep and live with chronic stress and inflammation.
Sleep deprivation, not getting enough sleep, or not sleeping well can lead to fatigue and lack of energy by increasing stress hormones like cortisol, epinephrine, and norepinephrine.
Drinking coffee or caffeinated beverages to address sleep deprivation can cause more stress hormone secretion, exhaust adrenal glands, and lead to sleep issues, creating a catch-22 situation.
When you get restorative sleep, your body repairs and restores cellular homeostasis (balance). So if you’re not getting enough sleep, your body will not have the energy to function correctly.
Sleep plays a pivotal role in our lives. When I learned the importance of sleep and took appropriate measures, my energy levels increased substantially. My lethargy disappeared. I got abundant energy. Everything around me looked brighter. Life became more meaningful.
Managing stress is critical since chronic stress is one of the most significant biological, mental, and environmental factors affecting our energy levels. Oxidative stress drains the energy at cellular, mitochondrial, and genetic levels.
Stress management is crucial, as accumulated oxidative stress can lead to chronic inflammation and energy blockages. Acute stress and inflammation are essential for growth and healing.
However, oxidative stress and chronic inflammation can harm our health and adversely impact our well-being, depleting energy and making us more lethargic.
The viable solution is to get at least eight hours of restorative sleep. In addition, taking breaks at work, slowing down, relaxing, acting mindfully, practicing meditation, yoga, and other pleasurable activities can reduce stress levels and help us sleep better.
2 — You keep eating junk foods with empty calories.
Eating a diet high in processed foods and sugar and low in nutrients can lead to a lack of energy. These foods can cause blood sugar spikes and crashes, making you tired and lethargic.
Healthy diets from whole foods are crucial for energy production. Nutrient-dense foods are vital for creating energy.
A customized diet aligned with your genetic makeup is essential. Supplementation may also be necessary if your diet doesn’t provide essential micronutrients like vitamins and minerals.
Blood glucose and insulin levels play a role in our energy levels. Fluctuating blood glucose and insulin levels can drain your energy.
High blood glucose levels and excessive fat storage can cause lethargy. When your body relies entirely on glucose, it cannot tap into fat stores, leading to a vicious cycle.
The viable solution is to eat a balanced diet with adequate protein from bioavailable sources, healthy fats, and complex (non-refined) carbs for energy production.
Avoiding processed foods, sugary drinks, and foods high in unhealthy fats is essential for energy metabolism.
Entering ketosis and making the body fat adapted can give unlimited energy.
3 — You may be dehydrated with too much coffee.
Not drinking enough water and lacking electrolytes can lead to dehydration, which can cause fatigue and lack of energy.
When you’re dehydrated, your blood volume decreases, making it harder for your body to transport oxygen and nutrients to your cells.
People sometimes confuse dehydration with hunger, giving us a deceptive hunger feeling. Those who consume too many caffeinated drinks like coffee or energy drinks must urinate more, dehydrating the body.
A viable solution is to drink enough water throughout the day and consume food with essential minerals which provide necessary electrolytes like potassium, sodium, magnesium, and calcium.
4 — You are afraid of moving your body, staying in your comfort zone.
A sedentary lifestyle is a known cause of lethargy and energy deficiency. Not getting enough physical activity can lead to a lack of energy. It is critical to move from our comfort to stretch and risk zones.
Exercise can increase blood flow, improving oxygen and nutrient delivery to your cells. Exercise can detoxify cells, removing toxins and pathogens through the lymphatic system. Therefore, I jump on the trampoline and walk barefoot every day.
Fitness is crucial for increasing energy and reducing fatigue. Exercise improves cellular, mitochondrial, immune, and endocrine health, balancing hormones and neurotransmitters.
Furthermore, physical activities can boost BDNF, improve mood and reduce oxidative stress, lowering feelings of fatigue and lethargy.
The viable solution is getting at least 30 minutes of moderate physical activity daily, preferably with other people. One hundred fifty minutes of weekly exercise can lower the risks of many diseases, including cancers.
Starting slow and gradually increasing by mixing aerobic and anaerobic exercises can be beneficial. So walking, cycling, swimming, tennis, calisthenics, yoga, pilates, planks, and weight lifting are a few examples.
5 — You are not getting enough sunlight or bright light during the day.
Connecting with nature spiritually and exposure to sunshine physically can boost our mood and balance hormones and neurotransmitters, increasing energy levels.
Sunlight and bright light increase energy levels by affecting the body’s circadian rhythm. The circadian rhythm is the internal clock that regulates various physiological processes, including sleep-wake cycles, hormone production, and metabolism.
Exposure to sunlight early in the morning can reset the circadian rhythm, improving alertness, mood, and cognitive performance throughout the day.
Sunlight or bright light exposure suppresses the production of melatonin and adenosine, involved in the regulation of sleep, and promotes the production of other hormones and neurotransmitters involved in regulating energy and stress.
Vitamin D deficiency is associated with fatigue and low energy levels. Sunlight can increase energy levels through its effects on vitamin D production. Vitamin D is essential in various physiological processes, including energy metabolism.
Sunlight is the primary source of vitamin D for most people whose skin can tolerate it. The body synthesizes vitamin D when the skin is exposed to ultraviolet radiation.
Sunlight and bright light can also increase energy levels by improving mood and reducing stress. Exposure to sunlight or bright light can increase the production of serotonin, regulating mood and energy.
Viable solutions are looking at the sun for a few minutes first thing in the morning. Exercising outdoors early in the morning can expose you to natural sunlight and help reset your circadian rhythm, improving alertness and energy levels throughout the day.
If you are an office worker or work from home, investing in bright lights in your study room or office can be helpful. Light therapy boxes are devices that emit bright light and are used to treat seasonal affective disorder.
6 — Your body might have too many toxins and pathogens.
Toxins and pathogens can adversely affect energy levels and cause lethargy through various mechanisms like the activation of the immune system, disruption of energy metabolism, and damage to cells, tissues, organs, and systems.
When the body is exposed to toxins or pathogens, the immune system responds by producing inflammation, which can cause fatigue and lethargy.
Inflammation can interfere with the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine, which regulate mood and energy levels.
Toxins and pathogens can cause lethargy by disrupting the body’s energy metabolism. For example, they can interfere with the function of mitochondria.
This can lead to a decrease in ATP production, the body's primary energy source. As a result, the body might experience fatigue, lethargy, and decreased physical performance.
Toxins can damage the liver, which detoxifies toxins and produces energy. A damaged liver may lead to a decrease in energy production and an increase in fatigue.
Furthermore, toxins and pathogens can cause respiratory, gastrointestinal, or urinary infections, leading to fatigue and lethargy, as the body needs substantial energy to defeat the infection.
Environmental toxins such as pesticides, heavy metals, and air pollution can accumulate in the body over time, leading to chronic toxicity. Chronic toxicity can cause fatigue, lethargy, and decreased energy levels.
Toxic food can also be a problem. For example, food poisoning is caused by consuming food contaminated with Salmonella or E. coli. Symptoms of food poisoning include fatigue, lethargy, and weakness as the body tries to fight the infection.
Viable solutions are to refrain from toxins and pathogens in foods and beverages, have an air cleaner in polluted regions, and use supplements like activated charcoal. Activating autophagy and mitophagy is a sustainable solution.
7 — You might have undiagnosed health conditions.
One critical item is left if you do all the previous items well. Your hidden and undiagnosed health conditions might require attention from qualified healthcare professionals.
Many medical conditions can cause fatigue and lack of energy. For example, anemia, leaky gut, hypothyroidism, chronic fatigue syndrome, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, anxiety, brain fog, and depression can deplete energy.
Making lifestyle changes like getting enough sleep, eating healthy foods, staying hydrated, exercising regularly, and managing stress can significantly improve these conditions and energy levels.
However, if you experience persistent fatigue despite changing your lifestyle, seeking professional help is crucial.
Qualified healthcare professionals can diagnose and treat conditions with medication, surgery, therapy, or a combination.
Summary and Conclusions
As a person who has struggled with low energy levels in the past, I wrote this article to share what I have learned through years of trial and error.
Our lives rely on a constant energy source — without it, we cannot function. Fortunately, the human body and mind can generate unlimited energy.
Unfortunately, we often look for quick fixes or solutions in the wrong places, leading to disappointment and needless suffering.
Lethargy is a sign of low physical and mental energy, but we can overcome it with practical and natural methods that align with holistic health principles, as I covered in this story.
Several factors — biological, psychological, spiritual, and environmental — can impede or drain our energy. Therefore, it’s essential to understand these factors and take steps to improve our energy levels.
Takeaways
Based on my experience, I offer some takeaway points that can be customized based on your needs and goals.
1 — Find practical ways for cellular cleansing.
2 — Feed the body with optimal nutrition by customizing your diet.
3 — Make the body insulin sensitive and leptin receptive.
4 — Switch from sugar-burning to a fat-burning metabolism.
5 — Give your digestive system a chance to rest and rejuvenate by shortening the eating windows.
6 — Improve sleep quality, have breaks, and work in a flow state.
7 — Move out of your comfort zone, stay active, and move the body with joyful exercises.
8 — Refrain from toxins, pathogens, offensive food, sugary drinks, excessive alcohol and caffeine, recreational drugs, and cigarette smoking.
9 — Understand the universal threats causing stress and anxiety.
10 — Find ways to optimize hormones and neurotransmitters and seek professional help when needed.
By implementing these critical yet straightforward points, you can naturally improve your energy levels, overcome lethargy, and live with abundant energy.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
As a new reader, please check my holistic health and well-being stories reflecting my reviews, observations, and decades of experiments optimizing my hormones and neurotransmitters. I write about health as it matters. I believe health is all about homeostasis.
Petechiae, ALS, Metabolic Syndrome, Type II Diabetes, Fatty Liver Disease, Heart Disease, Strokes, Obesity, Liver Cancer, Autoimmune Disorders, Homocysteine, Lungs Health, Pancreas Health, Kidneys Health, NCDs, Infectious Diseases, Brain Health, Dementia, Depression, Brain Atrophy, Neonatal Disorders, Skin Health, Dental Health, Bone Health, Leaky Gut, Leaky Brain, Brain Fog, Chronic Inflammation, Insulin Resistance, Elevated Cortisol, Leptin Resistance, Anabolic Resistance, Cholesterol, High Triglycerides, Metabolic Disorders, Gastrointestinal Disorders, Thyroid Disorders, Anemia, Dysautonomia, cardiac output, and urinary track disorders.
I also wrote about valuable nutrients. Here are the links for easy access:
Lutein/Zeaxanthin, Phosphatidylserine, Boron, Urolithin, taurine, citrulline malate, biotin, lithium orotate, alpha-lipoic acid, n-acetyl-cysteine, acetyl-l-carnitine, CoQ10, PQQ, NADH, TMG, creatine, choline, digestive enzymes, magnesium, zinc, hydrolyzed collagen, nootropics, pure nicotine, activated charcoal, Vitamin B12, Vitamin B1, Vitamin D, Vitamin K2, Omega-3 Fatty Acids, N-Acetyl L-Tyrosine, and other nutrients.
Disclaimer: My posts do not include professional or health advice. I only document my reviews, observations, experiences, and perspectives to provide information and create awareness.
As part of my creative non-fiction writing goals, I’d like to share a few stories that might warm our hearts with a bit of humor into weighty topics.
Sample Humorous Stories
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